


Only Love Can Leave Such a Mark

by the_heart_and_the_brain



Category: Game Grumps, Septiplier - Fandom, Youtubers, egobang - Fandom, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Egobang - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Piercer!Dan, Septiplier - Freeform, Slow Burn, Tattoo Artist!Arin, Tattoo Artist!Jack, Tattooed, pierced, tattoo!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-24 17:59:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9777866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_heart_and_the_brain/pseuds/the_heart_and_the_brain
Summary: Tattoo!AU Jack, Arin and Dan run their own tattoo/piercing studio. Dan has a friend who wants some work done...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to all my followers and my Beta Jaydedjen110 :)

Jack yawned as he leant against the counter, flicking through the diary to see what appointments had been lined up for the day. He had moved from Athlone, Ireland to Los Angeles a few months before in order to set up the tattoo and piecing shop with his friends Arin and Dan. They had been open for two months and things were already pretty busy.

He had built up quite a reputation back in Ireland through his talent in black and greyscale realism and a large following on Twitter and Instagram where he displayed his work. So when he announced he would be moving to LA, people were already wanting appointments.

Arin was already a well known tattoo artist in the area, specialising in colour, new school and Japanese work. He and Dan, a piercer, had worked at a previous studio together and had met Jack at tattooing conventions, striking up a firm friendship with the young Irishman.

So here he was, looking through the day's appointments as Arin was finishing up a client's design and Dan was making tea. He had a couple of small tattoos booked and a piece to finish but not much else, Arin however was pretty much fully booked. Dan’s customers didn't need to book but he always seemed to have a steady stream of piercings. This didn't surprise Jack, the piercer having quite a little fan club.

A mug by his elbow broke his thoughts as Dan joined him at the counter.

At 37, Dan was the oldest of the group, with black fluffy hair and big brown doe eyes. He had a couple of rings in his right eyebrow and a labret piercing, all of which he had done to himself. Colourful tattoos disappeared under the neck and sleeves of his shirt, courtesy of Arin.

Jack watched as the piercer looked over at their friend as he sat at the desk behind the counter. Arin was 30 years old, with dark brown hair shot through with blond and dark eyes to match. He had plugs in his ears and a septum piercing. One arm was decorated in bright comic book style designs, starting up at his shoulder and ending at his wrist. Jack had also worked on a piece in greyscale on his calf, but it was only half finished. Right now, he was engrossed in his work, hunched over pieces of paper.

“Coffee on your right, sweetie. Don't spill it.” Dan said, elbowing Jack with a grin.

“Thanks, honey.” Arin said, eyes never leaving the page as he reached for the mug. “Love you.”

Jack giggled at the exchange. At 26, he was the baby of the group, with neon green hair and bright blue eyes. He had tattoos running down his throat, across his chest and down his arms. They were all in black and greyscale, having designed them himself, the images stark against his pale skin. He had the tragus and lobe pierced in both ears, along with a small hoop through the right side of his nose and snake bites on his lip.

“So, how is today looking?” Dan asked, turning back to Jack. The younger man flicked back to the right page and scanned the scribbled details.

“Arin is pretty full, I have a couple o'small ones booked in this afternoon and a piece t'finish this mornin', not much.” The green haired man shrugged. “Might work on some more designs fer the wall...”

“Sounds like a plan buddy.” Dan said, draining his mug. “Well, time to open shop.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

After his two appointments that afternoon, Jack had gone to the back of the studio to focus on some designs. The room next to the kitchen held a table with two chairs, one either side, and was covered in pencils, sheets of paper and two light boxes. It was also far back enough for them to be able to concentrate, but near enough should Arin or Dan need him.

The shop was quiet, Arin was in with a client and Dan was manning the front, the only sounds being the gentle buzz of a tattoo gun and the low strains of the radio.

Jack was looking at the portrait he had just finished, running a critical eye over the pencil strokes, when he heard the doorbell ring.

“Hey man!” He heard Dan say cheerfully. “How are you?”

“Hey Dan. I’m good thanks.” Jack looked up at the sound of _that voice_. It was deep and _warm_ and sent an _honest to God shiver down Jack’s spine…_

“Great. I’ll get Jack.” He heard Dan’s footsteps and looked back at his drawing, pretending not to have noticed. “Hey Jack.”

“Mmm?”

“I have a friend out the front who would really love to talk to you.”

“O-okay…” Getting up from his chair, Jack watched Dan walk back to the front, taking a moment to check he looked presentable before following.

As he reached the doorway, he saw Dan motion to him and watched the other man turn to face him.

He was a couple of inches taller than Jack, with broad shoulders and olive skin. A shock of blue hair falling across his forehead, the rest hidden under a black beanie. He looked to be at least half Asian, warm brown eyes crinkling at the edges when he flashed a smile at Jack before holding out his hand.

“I’m Mark, pleased to meet you.” His hand was warm, almost engulfing Jack’s.

“Jack, pleased t’meet yer too.” Looking closer, he noticed the other man had a bar through his left eyebrow and when he spoke, he saw a flash of silver indicating a tongue piercing.

_Sweet Jesus..._

The doorbell chimed, indicating customers. Dan looked at the two and smiled with a wink.

“Duty calls. I’ll leave you guys to it.”

Mark nodded, Jack watching his friend turn to the newcomers and pondered the wink the older man had given them.

“Okay, so shall we go t’my station? It’ll be quieter there.”

“Great, lead the way.”

“D’ye want a drink?”

“I’m good thanks.”

Jack’s station was near Arin’s, the other man still busy with his own client. The green haired Irishman motioned for Mark to sit whilst he grabbed a pad and pencil for notes and sketches before sitting in the opposite seat.

“So, tell me yer thoughts.”

“Well, I’ve wanted to get more tattoos for a while, but not found the right style…” Mark leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees, fingers clasped together. “I’d heard of your work and follow you on Instagram but thought I would have to travel to Ireland to get inked by you.” Jack felt a blush warm his cheeks at this. He’d had a few people say they loved his work but none had an effect like this on him. “So when I heard you were setting up a shop in LA with Dan and Arin…” The blue haired man shrugged, looking over shyly at him. “Sorry for fanboying…”

“Not at all…” Jack smiled and fiddled with the pen for a moment. “Thank you…” Mark cleared his throat and sat back in the chair.

“So uh...I have some ink on my legs, but I'd like to have a piece done that goes from my wrists all up my arms, chest and neck...” Jack raised his eyebrows slightly. “I know it'll be time consuming, and expensive...but I've wanted new work for ages. I have my legs done and Danny did my piercings, but...”

“No I get you...I felt the same way.” Jack indicated to his arms and throat, all adorned with tattoos, the greyscale stark against his pale skin. “I don't judge, everyone has their reasons for getting inked. The only times I won't are if the person is drunk or underage.” He said with a smile. “So...what did you want incorporated in this design?”

* * *

Arin waved goodbye to his client as he walked out the door before sitting in one of the armchairs set out in the front of the shop. Mark had gone and Jack was sat in the back. Sighing, Arin leant his chin on his hand, watching Dan out of the corner of his eye as the older man took an appointment over the phone.

Dan was tall and slender, wild dark hair currently pulled back into a loose ponytail, exposing the column of his neck. Warm brown eyes scanned the diary, thick dark lashes lowered as he wrote in the details, long skilled fingers clasping the pen as he shifted his weight, back arched.

The younger man swallowed involuntarily, scratching his beard and averting his eyes as Dan put down the phone.

“Got another customer for you, Big Cat.” The piercer said with a grin as Arin looked over.

God, if only Dan knew what his nicknames for Arin did to the tattoo artist...

“Yeah?”

“Uh huh. Business is picking up.” Dan pushed a stray tendril of hair behind his ear, the other hand flicking through the diary. “You and Jack are pretty booked for the next month.” He stretched, t-shirt riding up ever so slightly and exposing a sliver of tanned skin.

_Oh God..._

“That's awesome man, just goes to show we all made the right choice.”

“You got that, Baby Bear.” The piercer checked his watch. “You hungry?”

“Oh man I am _starving._ ” Arin said, rising from his seat and stretching.

“I could definitely eat.” Jack said, leant in the doorway.

“Great! I'll make a run to the deli.” Dan said, pulling his keys out of his pocket. “Any variations?”

“Nope, usual is good for me.”

“Me too.”

Dan smiled before leaving out of the front door, the cheerful bell tinkling in his wake.

Arin waited for the older man to be out of sight before glancing over at his friend, the green haired Irishman looking back at him with a grin on his face.

“Ooh boy you have it _baaaaad_.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack talks to Dan and Arin respectively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for my lack of response for so long, life has certainly gotten busy recently but I'm finally back :)
> 
> A big thank you to areyouscaredtodeathtolive for being my ever faithful Beta and a huge thank you to you as always for reading my work. Comments and kudos are my lifeblood.

****An hour later, the three had had their lunch and were having a break before they reopened to the public.

Arin had gone to make a phone call whilst Dan and Jack cleaned up the kitchen.

“So how do y’know Mark?”

“We met him through YouTube. You know those ‘Let’s play’ videos Ar and I have been trying out?” Jack nodded, wiping his hands as Dan emptied the sink. “Well Mark does a lot of those sorts of videos…he’d seen some of ours and also our social media for the tattooing and piercings and reached out to us.”

“What's he like?”

“Funny, kind, charming…” The dark haired piercer glanced over at the younger man. “He told us ages ago that he wanted you to work on him.”

The older man smiled at the slight colour rising up on the green haired artist’s cheeks, but didn't push. Jack had been single for as long as he and Arin had known him, never hiding his sexuality nor being blatant about it.

Being bisexual himself, Dan could relate to not wanting to have his sexuality define him. But he was also of the belief that in order to be happy, you need to be true to you.

“So what’s his YouTube channel?”

The piercer grinned.

“I’ll write it down for you.”

***

Arin sat in the chair at Jack’s station, the other man working on the half finished piece on his calf. They had closed up shop and decided to do a bit more to then intricate design.

This was the time when Jack and Arin set the world to rights, discussing things that they couldn't at other times.

It was mainly the time that Arin could vent his frustration regarding his long term attraction to Dan.

Jack couldn't believe that he could be attracted to someone for so long and not do anything about it.

“I’m serious Arin, yeh need to do something about this…how do yeh cope?”

The brunette gave a wry chuckle.

“Sheer force of will and strong wrist muscles.” Jack grinned and shook his head. “But seriously, I can't do anything…if it all went wrong it could completely ruin the dynamic of the shop.”

“So yeh would prefer to torture yerself every day…”

“If it meant being around him without things being weird…then yes.”

Jack wiped the design and resumed tattooing. He felt sorry for Arin, for how quickly he rejected his love for Dan in order to keep things how they were.

“How did the consultation with Mr Tall Dark and Husky go?”

The green haired artist grinned as he continued his work, aware of his friend’s dark eyes on his head.

“Good, it went good…”

“Just good?”

“Yes…apart from blushing every time he looked at me and his voice turning me t’jelly…”

Arin laughed.

“Thought as much, Dan told me that you’d got a bit flustered when he introduced you two.”

“Oh god, really? Was it that noticeable?”

“Don't worry about it man, he's coming back…”

“No…” Jack wiped his work and sat back, putting the tattoo gun down. “Is it really that noticeable that I went all gooey over a man I don't know?”

Arin examined Jack’s work before leaning forward, clapping a hand on Jack’s shoulder.

“Jack… _Sean…_ ” The Irishman looked up at the use of his real name. “Dan and I just want you to be happy, you’ve been single for as long as I’ve known you…if Mark is the one to start you on your way, then who gives a fuck?”

Chewing his lip, Jack scratched his chin before nodding.

“You're right.”

“Of course I am!” The older tattooist said with a grin and a squeeze to his friend's shoulder before letting go. “Awesome work by the way man…”

***

Later that evening, Jack found himself pulling out the scrap of paper Dan had written Mark’s YouTube name on and typing it into the search bar.

He was into watching Lets Plays, and had subscribed to Arin and Dan’s fledgling page. As gamer, he enjoyed watching other people playing.

_Wow, he has a lot of videos…and followers! I’m surprised that I haven't found him before..._

Clicking onto the top video, he watched as Mark played an indie horror video game.

He could see the older man was dressed in a sleeveless black shirt, his broad tanned shoulders shifting with each movement. His hair was green in this video so he must have dyed it blue in the last few day.

Listening to his voice through the headphones didn't quite do it justice, but it still sent a shiver down the green haired man’s spine.

Mark was funny and insightful, Jack finding himself more fixed on watching the other man play than the game itself.

By the time Jack crawled into bed a few hours later, he had watched a few one-offs and a couple of game series.

He had a warm feeling in his stomach and a small smile on his face as he fell asleep, images of the blue haired man with the sinful voice still playing behind his eyelids

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark returns and Arin gets a shoulder massage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I AM SOOOOOOOO sorry for not responding to all the messages I get. I really need to keep track of them so apologies if you've commented but I've not responded. I'll do better, I promise!
> 
> This is a bit of a short chapter, but I'm working on the next one plus the next installment of Your Blue Eyes Met Mine.
> 
> As always, a huge thank you to my Beta Jaydedjen110 and for you for taking the time to read and respond to my work. It means the world to me.

Jack ran his thumb along the rim of his mug as he sat at the desk. Arin was busy with a customer and Dan was cleaning in the back so he was manning the front.

 

Leaning his chin on his hand, he let out a yawn just as the door opened.

 

A deep chuckle sounded from across the room followed by footsteps.

 

“Hey Jack.”

 

The Irishman looked up from the source of the smooth baritone voice and felt his pulse start to race.

 

Mark was on the other side of the desk, a half grin on his handsome face. Today he wasn't wearing a beanie so he could see that whilst the top of Mark’s hair was a dark blue and fell over his forehead, the rest of his hair was black and closely cropped to his head.

 

“Hey!” The Irishman said with a smile, quickly everting his gaze from fixating on the dark brown eyes and moving his mug to one side. “How’ve yer been?”

 

“Good thanks, you?”

 

“Not bad.” Reaching into a drawer, Jack pulled out his sketch pad where he had drawn designs for Mark. “I’ll get Dan t’cover so we can go to my station.”

 

The piercer appeared just has he finished, a grin on his face.

 

“Hey man.” Dan said, fist bumping the other man.

 

“Hey Dan.”

 

The dark haired piercer grinned before patting Jack’s shoulder. “Go ahead, I've got this.”

 

“Thanks, bro.” Jack motioned for Mark to following him to the back.

 

* * *

 

Dan leant against the counter and flicked through the diary, the low hum of Arin's tattoo gun and Jack and Mark's voices behind him.

 

Sighing, the piercer closed the book, blowing the dark curl that had escaped his ponytail out of his eyes. He often found himself playing receptionist as the boys were usually busy with clients for hours on end. Even the most intricate piercing only took a few minutes.

 

But Dan preferred it that way. As the eldest of the trio, he felt the need to look after the other two, especially Jack. The Irishman was over a decade younger than Dan and whilst that made the piercer feel very old, he did seem to go a bit 'mother hen' over the green haired artist.

 

He looked up at movement and said goodbye to another satisfied customer of Arin's as she walked passed. The brunette followed soon after, waving cheerfully as the woman closed the door behind her.

 

Dan looked over at Arin, the younger man grimaced and stretched, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Tough one, Big Cat?”

 

“Yeah...” Running one hand through the blond streak, Arin checked his watch before sitting down in a chair nearby. “Four hours, my shoulders are killing me.”

 

Dan clicked his teeth in sympathy, moving from behind the counter towards the other man and placing his hands on Arin's broad shoulders. Giving a gentle squeeze, he could feel the knots there, the artist groaning.

 

“Jeeze man, you're bunched up...” Dan murmured, digging his thumbs in between Arin's shoulder blades, making the other man groan louder as he slowly worked out the knots. “Keep it down Ar, Jack and Mark will think I'm doing nasty things to you.”

 

“Ugh, I don't care...your fingers are magic.” Dan chuckled, continuing with his ministrations.

 

“You need to pay attention to your body, Baby Bear…you can’t create amazing art if your back and shoulders are fucked…”

 

Arin sighed as Dan moved away once finished, running a hand through his brown and blond hair and looking up at the other man.

 

“I know, I’ve just been…”

 

“Elsewhere?”

 

“Yeah...” Arin murmured, rubbing the back of his neck and rising from the seat, conscious of Dan's eyes on him. “I'm just...sorting some things out.”

 

“Well, you know I'm always here for you Ar.” Dan said, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

 

“Thanks man.” The tattoo artist smiled, patting his hand before dropping it to his side.

 

* * *

 

“Oh man...”

 

“Do you like them?” Jack asked, watching as Mark studied the pages, taking in the detailed pencil sketches.

 

“I love them...” Mark looked up at Jack, his chest tightening slightly at the younger man's bright smile at his words.

 

He had been following Jack's work for the last year or so, absolutely enthralled with the Irishman's talent, both on paper and on skin. But what he secretly loved was the pictures Jack took of himself. They were rare and often hidden away within a mass post of work, but Mark had saved them all down on his computer...much to his embarrassment.

 

What could he say? The younger green haired man intrigued and captivated him.

 

And now, he was in the same city as Mark, working with people he knew and Mark was _finally_ getting to be inked by him.

 

Life was good.

 

“....Mark?”

 

“Huh?” The blue haired man looked up from the sketch book and into Jack's wide blue eyes.

 

“I asked if you wanted to book in for your first session?”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack contemplates things at home and Arin is left alone with his thoughts when Dan leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to Lorayla for being an amazing Beta reader and friend.
> 
> And a huge thank you to all you for reading my work, it means everything to me.

The plan was for Mark's tattoos to be done in sessions of six hours each with two weeks in between for healing. Jack had calculated for the whole design to be done in about 36 hours totalling six sessions.

Mark was booked in for the first session and Jack couldn't wait. He had been watching more of Mark's videos on YouTube and found himself hooked, watching him every spare moment he got.

Right now though, he was watching Arin and Dan’s latest video, having received a text from the former letting him know it had been posted.

He loved listening to his two friends talk about absolutely anything, some of the shit they said had him in stitches. He really hoped something happened between them both, they deserved to be happy and it was obvious to him that they were meant to be.

Soon enough the video was over and he started scrolling. He had subscribed to a few channels but his notifications mainly consisted of Arin and Dan’s Game Grumps and Mark.

Searching Mark’s channel, he came across one called 'R.I.P Me' from almost a year ago. Raising an eyebrow, he clicked and waited for the video to load.

Mark came up on the screen as he started to talk in an __incredibly__ gravelly and rough voice, explaining that he was sick. Jack barely realised he started playing 'Higher or Lower' as he was so focused on how Mark's voice sounded. He felt bad that the older man had been sick at the time but DAMN.

Soon the video was over, much to the young tattoo artist's disappointment.

Leaving another video on his computer running so he could listen to Arin and Dan talk, he walked into the kitchenette and put the kettle on to boil.

He had opted for a studio apartment when he moved to America, not seeing the point of getting a huge house when he only had himself to think about. It wasn’t much different from his cabin back in Ireland, apart from instead of being in the woods, he was in a fairly quiet suburban area.

Leaning back against the worktop, he glanced at the sheets of paper strewn across his table. Various designs and ideas were in various stages of completion, from hasty sketches to cleaned up designs to those that were redrawn in pen.

He had also designed some flash art as he and Arin were planning on doing an event where people could get small designs and the money would be donated to charity.

The kettle clicked and Jack was pulled back from his thoughts. Quickly making himself a tea, he sat down at the table and started organising the papers, mindful not to spill his tea on the designs.

Once he had organised them into piles, he pulled his sketch book and pencils out and opened to a new page.

He hadn’t had any plan on what to draw, starting off with small doodles but soon reached for a clean sheet of paper and a blue pencil.

The pencil lines started to form and connect, creating shapes which then formed into an image.

Finally, when he was finished, he sat back in his chair and looked at the result…

Leaning forward, elbows either side of the sheet, Jack held his head in his hands and stared down at the sketch of Mark now looking at him.

It was just how he had been when Jack had been explaining to him what his plan was, the older man’s eyes intent on him, lips pulled into just a hint of a smile…

__Oh god…I have it bad__.

Running his hands over his face, Jack prayed that he would survive the next few months…

Or at least get through this without making a complete idiot out of himself.

* * *

Arin waved as Dan left to go home, closing the door behind him. As always, they’d had an amazing time and recorded a good chunk of videos to send for editing.

He had set up his spare bedroom as a recording area which is where they did Game Grumps. Arin would then send the material to his friend Barry who would edit it for them.

Sighing, he padded across the living room, blowing brown and blonde strands out of his eyes as he went.

He was exhausted.

He adored recording Game Grumps with Dan, but to be around the other man in such close proximity was emotionally draining.

Not to mention trying to play Ross’ levels on Mario Maker had made him VERY ragey.

Pulling a hairband from his wrist, he gathered up his hair into a messy bun and walked towards the bathroom.

Running a bath, he slowly stripped off his clothes, the brightly coloured designs on his skin a stark contrast to the pale flesh underneath.

At 6ft 2, he was only slightly shorter than Dan but the piercer’s slender frame gave him the appearance of being taller. Arin was broader and softer, whilst Dan was all sharp angles and narrow hips.

Jack was the shortest of them all, being 5ft 8. Even Mark, who Dan had often teased for being short, had a good two or three inches on the Irishman.

Stepping into the hot water, the artist eased back against the bathtub with a sigh and closed his eyes.

With a life that mostly consisted of his tattoo shop and his YouTube channel, it was simple things like a hot bath that meant the world to Arin.

Even if it meant being left alone with his thoughts.

Scratching his chin, Arin idly contemplated whether or not to shave.

A memory of Dan playfully scritching his bearded chin and calling him Big Cat for the first time made him decide against it.

“God fucking dammit…” He muttered, leaning on the edge of the tub and resting his cheek on his knuckles.

Why was life so fucking complicated?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Markiplier sketch credit goes to Shuploc, her art is amazing!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark visits the studio for his first session.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to Lorayla for being an amazing Beta reader and friend. And a huge thank you to all you for reading my work, it means everything to me.

Mark walked into the studio, the familiar feeling of excitement and anticipation in the pit of his stomach that he always got as he walked into the studio.

Clicking his tongue bar against his teeth, his eyes fell upon Jack leaning on the desk, the Irishman’s back towards the door as he took a booking on the phone.

The American let his eyes roam over the slender form, appreciating how the skinny ripped jeans showed off the curve of his hips and hugged his tight little ass…

A cough made him look up as Arin walked in, grinning.

“I uh…” He started, feeling his face heat up as Arin winked and slapped him on the back as he walked past.

“Your secret is safe with me, dude.”

Mark sighed as Jack hung up the phone and looked over his shoulder.

“Hey!” The green haired man straightened and turned around, giving him a gorgeous smile that made Mark’s stomach tighten.

“Hey.”

“Ready fer today?”

“Oh yeah, I can’t wait!” Mark enthused with a smile.

“Great, follow me.” Jack motioned for him to follow, leading the way to his station. “I just need t’clean the chair. D’ye want anything t’drink?” He asked, spraying the chair and surfaces before wiping them down.

“I’m good.”

“Okay well we’ll have a break in about two or three hours time, but if y’need anything before hand, just let me know.” Jack sat in his chair and pulled on some gloves, motioning for Mark to sit. The older man took off his hoodie, revealing a black wifebeater underneath, before settling down on the chair.

Jack started setting up the pots of ink, mixing various shades of grey and diluting some with water for shading.

Mark was definitely watching the process…and not how Jack bit his lip in concentration.

* * *

“Okay sweetheart, I want you to take a deep breath in and when you breathe out it’ll all be over, okay?” Dan smiled at the young woman in his chair and squeezed her hand.

It was her first piercing and it was obvious she was nervous. He had been told he had a way of easing people’s nerves, his gentle and easy going demeanour putting people at ease. Shifting his stool closer, he secured the clamp holding her nose.

“Right, take a deep breath in and…” As the woman exhaled, Dan swiftly pierced her nose, quickly removing the clamp and reaching for the stud she had picked. “Good job! I just need to put in your jewellery and then we’re done.”

He slid the jewellery on the end of the needle and eased it downwards in a fluid motion, putting the needle in a sharps bin and turning back, peeling off his gloves.

“There we go, all done! You did great.” The young woman blushed and smiled, thanking him as he helped her off the chair.

Arin was leaning over the diary as she paid and was handed an aftercare leaflet. After waving goodbye to another satisfied customer, Dan leant against the counter next to his friend.

“You quiet, Baby Girl?”

He watched Arin’s lips twitch upwards into a smile at the nickname before the younger man sighed and closed the diary.

“For another hour or so yeah, then I’m packed the rest of the day.”

“In that case, go and sit in the armchair, I’ll go and see if Jack and Mark want a hot drink.” The piercer said, fingering the blonde streak amongst Arin’s dark brown hair. “Then I’ll pop to Stacey’s for some of those amazing brownies.”

Arin looked up and smiled, the younger man’s gorgeous brown gaze sending Dan’s heart into overdrive.

“That sounds amazing.”

* * *

Jack couldn’t work in silence. Unlike Arin, who preferred quiet while he was with a client, the young artist liked to talk to the people he was tattooing.

He found that most people were happy to chat as it took their mind off the sting of the gun.

In the two hours he had been tattooing Mark, they had gone from small talk to a more in depth conversation about social media.

Jack listened as Mark told him about how he’d started his YouTube channel, the obstacles he’d faced in his life whilst doing so.

He could listen to Mark all day, especially when he glanced up and saw a flash of silver as the older man talked.

The outline of the design was starting to appear on Mark’s arm, as Jack worked his magic with the tattoo gun.

Footsteps caused Jack to pause, taking the time to wipe the excess ink from olive skin as Dan popped his head through the door.

“How’s it going?”

“Good thanks.” Mark said as Jack nodded with a smile.

“It’s going to look amazing when it’s done.” The piercer said, looking at the outline with interest. He personally preferred Arin’s colourful comic book style, having recently asked the other man to design a piece for his leg, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate Jack’s style and talent.

“Thanks, bro.” Jack said with a grin, sitting back with a roll of his shoulders, pushing his glasses up onto his head and rubbing his eyes.

“I came in to say I’m making a brownie run to Stacey’s and then I’m on hot drink duty. Do you two want anything?”

“Are ye quiet?”

“Just finished a nose piercing but you know me…” Dan grinned, running a hand through his wild dark curls. “I play PA and receptionist too.”

“And a damned good one you are too.” The green haired tattooist said.

Once the two had given their orders and Dan had disappeared again, Jack resumed his work, trying desperately not to think about the brown gaze on him or the hard muscle under the olive skin he was tattooing.

__Four more hours…_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mature rating will come into being in the next couple of chapters, it may increase to explicit...who knows?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan decides enough is enough.
> 
> Mark is frustrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to Lorayla for being an amazing Beta reader and friend. And a huge thank you to all you for reading my work, it means everything to me.

Arin pulled his glasses off his nose to rub his eyes, placing them on his head, the thin metal frames holding the brown and blonde strands off his face. He had been working on the piece in front of him for what felt like forever, the shop having shut a couple of hours before. He had sent Jack home as soon as he’d cleaned his station, the younger man visibly drained after his encounter with Mark.

 

A smiled pulled at the brunette’s lips at the thought of the UST between his two friends.

 

It was going to be interesting, especially as time went on...

 

Sighing he scrubbed his hands over his face before staring back down at the elaborate back piece. He knew he shouldn’t be working late into the evening, but when the inspiration struck, he had to get it down on paper.

 

“Arin?” Dan’s voice made him jump, hands flying from his face to slam on the table.

 

“FUCK! Jeez, Dan…” The younger man raised a hand to his chest, his racing heart thrumming underneath his fingers. “Why are you still here?”

 

“Sorry man, I thought I’d stay late and deep clean the stock room.” The piercer walked closer, the steaming mug in his hand now apparent. “I saw you were working late so thought I’d make you a coffee.” Leaning forward, he placed the mug next to Arin’s arm before placing a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah…yeah, you just gave me a fright.” The brunette looked down at the drink, Dan had made it in his favourite ‘Princess’ mug. “Thank you…”

 

Sighing, he leant back in his chair and stretched.

 

Suddenly the glasses were plucked from his head before slender fingers carded through his hair. Arin tilted his head back as the fingers moved to his shoulders, gently starting to work on the tense muscles.

 

Dan looked down at his friend, caught between berating him for burning himself out and admiring how gorgeous the young artist was. Arin’s eyes were closed, dark lashes brushing against his cheeks as he sighed again.

 

The piercer moved from his shoulders back to his hair, brushing his thumbs against Arin’s temples. The younger man's brow visibly relaxed under his gentle touch.

 

The room was silent, save for the soft music currently playing from Arin’s phone on the other end of the table.

 

Dan’s hands moved away, causing Arin to open his eyes. The piercer was still standing over him, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as his labret piercing glinted in the low light of the studio.

 

“Dan?”

 

__Now or never, Avidan..._ _

__

Slowly, the older man leant forward, fingers moving to gently frame the artist’s face. Arin’s lips parted, his heart skipping a beat as Dan stared into his eyes.

 

“Do you trust me?”

 

“Of course…”

 

Leaning down, Dan gently brushed his lips against Arin’s, soft and fleeting. It had barely lasted a few seconds before he started to withdraw.

 

What he didn’t expect was for fingers to find his hair and pull him back down into a longer, deeper kiss.

 

Arin could have wept as Dan kissed him back, the piercer’s fingers still gently pressed to his face.

 

Dan withdrew, the need for oxygen and the awkward angle of the kiss too much, but only long enough to situate himself on Arin's lap.

 

The younger man squeaked in surprise, hands automatically reaching to grip the narrow hips as Dan leant forward to kiss him again.

 

Arin had to be dreaming, he __had__  to...

 

This would never happen in reality, where he had spent the last four years pining for what he thought could never happen...

 

If he was dreaming, then he would make sure he memorised the taste of Dan's lips and skin, the feel of the slender wiry frame pressing against his own.

 

One had reached up to the blonde and brown strands, fingers sinking and clasping. Dan felt the gasp against his lips as he gently pulled.

 

The artist’s lips withdrew, head tilting back to expose the column of his neck to the piercer’s mouth.

 

“Dan...” Arin’s voice was low and thick as the older man’s mouth latched onto his throat, fingers tightening around on his hips.

 

“Do you know…how long…I’ve wanted…to do this?” Dan murmured between kisses against Arin’s thrumming pulse. “I’ve wanted you for so long…”

 

Arin closed his eyes and bit his lip as the mouth against his neck sucked hard, cock twitching in his jeans at the sensation. Dan chuckled and moved to look at the younger man’s face.

 

“If I’d have known you felt the same way…” Arin tilted his head forward to look Dan in the eyes, pupils blown wide and his face flushed.

 

“Don’t…” The younger man said, pressing a finger to the piercer’s lips. “Just focus on this, now, __us…”__ The dark haired man grinned, cupping Arin’s face in his hands.

 

“With pleasure…”

 

* * *

 

Mark rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. He’d been editing his latest YouTube video for the past couple of hours and despite it being nearly two in the morning, he wanted to get this done before he went to bed.

 

He shifted, wincing at how his muscles shifted over raw skin now decorated with fresh ink. Looking down at his upper arm, exposed by the sleeveless hoodie, he traced his eyes along the lines and shapes, imagining what it would look like once it was done.

 

Which got him thinking about Jack.

 

Jack, with his bright blue eyes and even brighter smile.

 

Jack, with his heart literally on his sleeves, pale skin decorated with everything that had made him the man he was today.

 

Jack, with his slender hips and pierced lips just begging to be bitten…

 

__Fuck._ _

__

Mark groaned and sat back in his chair, pulling the headphones from his ears to hang around his neck. Shoulders sagging, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“C’mon Fischbach, keep your head in the game.” He muttered to himself, resuming his work with renewed determination.

 

He was not going to do this…he was __not__ …

 

Clicking his tongue bar against his teeth, he glanced down at the tattoo on his arm again before growling in his chest, leaning forward on the desk with his head in his hands.

 

“Fuck!”

 

If this what how he felt after his first session, then god help him in two weeks time…


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for going quiet for a while and for this being a short chapter, I found out I am pregnant just before Christmas so things have been a bit mad. Not only that but I am super super tired all the time at the moment so writing has been difficult. Hopefully things will calm down soon and I'll be able to focus.
> 
> A huge thank you to Lorayla for being an amazing Beta reader and friend. And a huge thank you to all you for reading my work, it means everything to me.

When Jack walked into the studio the next day, something felt…different.

It felt like the atmosphere had shifted

As the day went on, it played on his mind more and more. He was almost certain that it had something to do with the way Dan and Arin interacted.

Things seemed less tense between the two, like the UST had gone…

__Or had been resolved._ _

He was desperate to ask them, but with back to back bookings all day, he would have to wait.

* * *

Arin yawned as he put away plates and cups back into the cupboard. It was the end of the day and whilst Dan cashed up and Jack put out the rubbish and locked the doors, it was his turn to clean the kitchen.

Things were really ramping up and with their increasing popularity and with their flash art charity event in a week’s time…

Man, he was __tired…__

As he closed the cupboard, two arms wrapped around his waist and a nose pressed against his neck.

“Hey Big Cat…” He smiled at the voice muffled by his shoulder.

“Hey.” Turning around in Dan’s arms, he looked up at the piercer with a smile, the older man’s own grin wide. “You got any plans for tonight?”

The curly haired man shook his head, eyebrow raised quizzically as he looked down at the brunette artist in his arms.

“No…”

“I was thinking…” Arin faltered as Dan’s fingers slid underneath the tattoo artist’s black t-shirt. “We could record some Grump stuff…and you could stay over…”

Dan staying over at his house wasn’t anything new, but after the events of the previous evening…the invitation held more meaning.

Arin bit his lip as he looked up at Dan, suddenly shy.

“I’d love to, Baby Girl.” The dark haired piercer grinned, reaching to pull Arin into a kiss, his other hand flattening against the younger man’s back to pull him closer.

Arin reached up to grip Dan’s shoulders, the hand in his hair tilting his head to one side so Dan could deepen the kiss.

* * *

Jack locked up the door, pulled down the blinds and switched off the lights in the store front. He seriously needed a hot bath and an evening in front of Netflix with a takeaway.

Stretching, he walked to the back to see if Arin had finished cleaning the kitchen.

“Hey Ar, y’do…I FUCKING KNEW IT!” Jack screeched as he saw Dan and Arin entwined in each other’s arms, the two jumping apart at his cry. “Oh my GOD I knew I wasn’t going mad!”

“Jesus, Jack!” Dan groaned, cluching his chest.

“Sorry, but…” The green haired artist waved his arms. “Y’got together!”

Arin chuckled as Dan put an arm around his waist, the older man pressing a kiss to the blonde and brunette hair.

“I hadn’t noticed…”

“I’m sorry…I just need a moment, let me fangirl over this.” The two men laughed as the young Irishman squealed and clapped his hands. “I’m just so happy for y’both!”

“Thanks man.”

“Right, I’m getting t’fuck out of here.” Jack said, tossing Arin the keys to the front door. “And try and be a bit more discreet next time…” The Irishman gave them a wide grin and a wink before turning around, glancing over his shoulder he added, “and no hanky panky in t’studio…I have to work here too!”

The two waited until the door was shut before Dan let out a breathy laugh, Arin burying his head in the older man’s shoulder with a groan.

“Well…that could have gone __so__  much worse…” The younger man grumbled against the cloth.

“Dude, chill…Jack ships us!” Arin smiled as Dan wrapped an arm around him, fingers gently lifting his face. “Now, you and I have a date with the Grump couch…”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy my work! I have multiple stories on the go but I promise to finish them all! If you want to get in touch, you can find me on tumblr: http://the-heart-and-the-brain.tumblr.com/


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